Today, the Singaporean health authorities approved the unified international veterinary certificate for importing bone-in or boneless meat (cooled and frozen) from Argentine bovine, ovine and caprine species from areas free of foot-and-mouth disease with and without vaccination, as stated by the Argentine Ambassador to Singapore, Federico Barttfeld. This enhances the prospects for exporters and expands business opportunities in other regions of the country.

This accomplishment was the result of the work carried out by the Argentine Embassy in Singapore, alongside the Ministry of Agro-industry, the National Service of Agri-food Health and Quality (SENASA) and the Argentine Investment and International Trade Agency (AAICI).

"This is yet another of the many advances in our plan of smart integration with the world," Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie stated, adding that "the Asian market is a key destination and Singapore, in this regard, is one of the most favourable economies in terms of our concept of trade integration."

"Increasing the presence of Argentine products in international markets will generate foreign currency, create jobs and boost sanitary reliability, which is essential for growth in our region," the Ministry of Agro-industry, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, noted.

Minister Etchevehere also highlighted the work carried out by the organizations involved, including health, market and trade institutions which held bilateral meetings in the last few months in order to reach this new agreement.

Until today, Singapore only allowed the purchase of boneless meat from Argentina, and only accepted bone-in meat produced in Patagonia. This creates new opportunities for more bovine, caprine and ovine meat producers from other regions.

The announcement was made during a trade mission of Argentine business owners who visited Singapore in order to boost the sale of Argentine products to the Asian country. Overall, 14 companies producing beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood, wine, citrus fruit and grain held over 220 rounds of negotiations with more than 60 importers, distributors and local supermarkets, at an event organized by the Argentine Embassy.

Singapore is a net food importer and, according to a report issued by the World Economic Forum in 2016, its economy is the world's most open and favourable to international trade, given that most of its imports are tariff-free.

In this regard, the Argentine Ambassador to Singapore underscored the complementarity between both economies and the opportunity that Argentine food offers for Singaporean consumers —whose purchasing power is among the highest in the world— in order to diversify their consumption options with high-quality products at competitive prices.

The Argentine business mission was supported and coordinated by the Ministry of Agro-industry of the Argentine Republic, alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the AAICI and the Argentine Embassy in Singapore, in the context of Argentina's strategy of smart insertion into the international economy.